Recipes & Ideas

Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

The raspberries add beautiful, elegant color and sweet-tart berry flavor to contrast with the rich chocolate cheesecake. Calorie and fat content of this cheesecake can be adjusted by using regular, low-fat, or fat-free cream cheese.

INGREDIENTS

20 chocolate wafer cookies
2 tablespoons butter
2 packages cream cheese, softened
2 packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1.5 cups sugar
2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 packages (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cup each) Driscoll's Raspberries, divided
2 ounces bar semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with fingers or roll with a rolling pin or food can to make about 1 cup fine crumbs.
Place crumbs in a medium bowl and stir in butter until evenly blended.
Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake 5 minues. Cool.
Lighten Up Tip: Lighten up the recipe by using 4 packages of reduced-fat cream cheese or 2 packages reduced-fat cream cheese and 2 packages fat-free cream cheese. Cheesecake will be denser. Omit crust and coat pan with cooking spray.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, starting on low speed then increasing to high, until thoroughly mixed.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl well after each addition. Gently stir in 1 cup raspberries. Pour mixture into pan.
Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until just barely set in center. Edges may crack slightly. Turn off oven and leave in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Run a knife around edge and remove rim.
Top cheesecake with remaining raspberries. Hold chocolate bar over cheesecake; firmly slide a sharp vegetable peeler along edge of chocolate allowing shavings to fall on cake.